LAX on-time departures record for October worst in a decade

Los Angeles International Airport had its worst on-time record for October departures in at least 10 years, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Almost 20 percent of flights at the airport left at least 15 minutes late in October, statistics show. In October 2011, about 13 percent of flights departed late.

October was the second-worst on-time month this year for LAX, falling just behind July. Overall this year, 82.2 percent of flights at LAX have left within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure time, making the airport the 17th most timely in the United States, statistics show. Salt Lake City has the best on-time departure ranking, with 90.3 percent of flights leaving promptly.

Nationwide, on-time departures were also down slightly in October, a blip most airline officials have blamed on superstorm Sandy, which caused flight cancellations and delays throughout most of the East Coast.